Upper School Faculty Chair

Job description

o Ensure the effective delivery and development of the education provision and associated curriculum.

o Maintain and improve the quality of teaching

o Support and develop the teaching faculties.

Reports to

Director of Operations.

Job Specification

· Ensure that the educational provision and associated curriculum is implemented and developed, including the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

· Ensure support for learning is integrated into the education provision and curriculum, including close monitoring of the PSHEE topics and effective implementation so that children know what they can do to keep themselves safe and are aware of:

o Careers provision

o Online Safety

o Healthy Relationships

· Ensure that assessment processes are in place to systematically improve the quality of teaching.

· Ensure that teacher performance is appraised and that these appraisals meet the continuous professional development needs of teachers.

· When visiting speakers or teachers are invited to the School, Faculty Chairs must check content and lesson plans. Making sure a Michael Hall teacher is in the room at all times, so ensure content is appropriate for pupils

· Ensure teaching staff records are kept up to date.

· Be aware of, track and monitor every child within the Faculty and their SEN needs and development so that all pupils make good progress. Make sure that progress can be evidence by:

o IEPs

o Discussions with Guardians

· Work with the Bursar to ensure that a sufficient and equitable number of teachers of the required standard are in place to deliver the education offered in line with expectations set with current and prospective parents and pupils.

· Ensure the effective planning and execution of external examinations including the application of the regulatory standards of the Examination Boards.

· Work with teachers within the Faculty so that they comply with the School’s policies and practices to meet the standards of the School's Inspection Service and the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

· Provide the support needed by the teacher training course so that it is delivered well and integrates with the School including the selection and appraisal of tutors and the selection, appraisal and pastoral care of and for student teachers.

· Oversee and develop the capability and capacity of the Faculty to achieve:

o Effective and timely teacher involvement in the admissions process.

o Pupil registration.

o Tracking and evidencing of the progression of pupils' learning.

o Monitoring and follow-up action in relation to pupil attendance, including leave of absence requests.

o Effective safeguarding and pastoral care for pupils on campus and for English as a Foreign Language students who are boarding.

o Effective implementation and management of other aspects of compliance.

· The upkeep of comprehensive pupil records including:

o Annual report to parents, attendance performance and remedial action taken, information relating to an incident involving the child (either an accident or other incident)

o Referrals to any agencies or support service together with related reports or correspondence,

o Reports written about the child, information about a Statement of Special Educational Needs and support offered in relation to the statement, information about English as an Additional Language intervention,

The D-DSL is an appropriate senior member of staff drawn from the leadership team in order that they can take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection with respect to the children within their faculty. Deputies will have the appropriate status and authority within the school to carry out the duties of the post in order to support the DSL or step in as overall lead when the DSL is unable to do so. It is important that the D-DSL is given the time, funding, training, resources and support to provide advice and support to other staff on child welfare and child protection matters, to take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings – and/or to support other staff to do so – and to contribute to the assessment of children.

The role of the Faculty Chair as Deputy-DSL will include being first point of contact and will manage situations unless they feel the need to escalate the incident to the DSL.

Purpose of the role

Manage referrals:

· refer cases of suspected abuse to the local authority children’s social care as required;

· support staff who make referrals to local authority children’s social care;

· refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern as required;

· support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme;

· refer cases where a person is dismissed or left due to risk/harm to a child to the Disclosure and Barring Service as required; and

· refer cases where a crime may have been committed to the Police as required.

Work with others

· liaise with EMT and Council Safeguarding holder to inform them of issues especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations;

· as required, liaise with the LADO, and ‘case manager’ at the local authority for child protection concerns (all cases which concern a staff member); and

· liaise with staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies.

· Act as a source of support, advice and expertise for staff.

Training

· The DSL and any deputies should undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role. They must also undergo Prevent awareness training. DSL training should be updated at least every two years and should be refreshed regularly (at least annually) in order that they have sufficient knowledge to enable them to:

a. understand the assessment process for providing early help and intervention, for example through locally agreed common and shared assessment processes such as early help assessments;

b. have a working knowledge of how local authorities conduct a child protection case conference and a child protection review conference and be able to attend and contribute to these effectively when required to do so;

c. ensure each member of staff has access to and understands the school’s child protection policy and procedures, especially new and part time staff;

d. are alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers;

e. are able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals;

f. understand and support the school with regards to the requirements of the Prevent duty and are able to provide advice and support to staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation;

g. ensure that, as part of the requirement for staff to undergo regularly updated safeguarding training and the requirement to ensure children are taught about safeguarding, including online safety, that online safety training for staff is integrated, aligned and considered as part of the overarching safeguarding approach.

h. obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses; and

i. Identify those unlikely to achieve a reasonable standard of health and development without local authority services, those whose health and development is likely to be significantly impaired without the provision of such services, or disabled children-Section 17(10) Children Act 1989;

j. encourage a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, among all staff, in any measures the school may put in place to protect them.

Raise Awareness

In completing their role in raising awareness of Safeguarding and Child Protection the DSL should:

• ensure the school ‘s child protection policies are known, understood and used appropriately;

• ensure the school’s child protection policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly, and work with Council regarding this;

• ensure the Safeguarding and child protection policy is available publicly and parents are aware of the fact that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made and the role of the school in this; and

• link with the local Authority to make sure staff are aware of training opportunities and the latest local policies on safeguarding.

Child protection files

It is the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s responsibility to keep detailed, accurate and securely written records of safeguarding concerns. These records are confidential and should be kept separately from pupil records. They should include a chronology of concerns, referrals, meetings, phone calls and emails.

Where children leave the school the DSL should ensure their child protection file is transferred to the new school or college as soon as possible. This should be transferred separately from the main pupil file, ensuring secure transit and confirmation of receipt should be obtained.

Availability

During term time the DSL (or a deputy) should always be available during school hours in order that staff can discuss any safeguarding concerns. In exceptional circumstances “available” may mean via phone and or Skype

How to apply

To apply for this role you will be required to complete the school’s standard application form (which you can find on the Job Opportunities page of our school website) and return it electronically to hr@michaelhall.co.uk or by post with any requested supporting documentation.

Please note that it is not necessary to enclose a separate CV, although you may do so if you wish – however, we still require a completed application form.

You will be notified as soon as possible after the closing date, if you have been selected for an interview.

If you do not hear from us in the two weeks following the application deadline, your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.